A record number of visitors experienced the largest and most successful edition of the region’s international trade fair for the beauty and wellness industry at Beautyworld Middle East 2024.
Organisers Messe Frankfurt Middle East have announced that this year’s event, held from 28 to 30 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre, attracted 71,439 visitors, marking the highest attendance and participation figures in its history.
Spread across 17 halls, Beautyworld Middle East has again cemented its position as the region’s most globally significant industry trade show providing the ultimate opportunity for local and international suppliers, brands, businesses and beauty professionals to network. This year’s visitor numbers increased by over 10% compared to last year, welcoming over 70,000 people across the three-day event.
The growth in international participation from both visitors and exhibitors highlights the GCC region as one of the most lucrative beauty and wellness markets in the world. In fact, the BeautyMatter Middle East Market Report 2024 valued the beauty and personal care market in the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at over $46 billion and estimates it will reach around $60 billion by 2025.
“This year’s Beautyworld Middle East was the biggest and best we have ever seen, attracting 71,439 visitors. We are delighted that so many international exhibitors and attendees were able to experience three amazing days of insights, networking and education. It was the perfect showcase for our industry which is growing all the time here in the Middle East,” said Ravi Ramchandani, Show Manager Beautyworld Middle East 2024.
International participation surged across all show sectors, with notable increases from countries eager to explore products from the Middle East, as well as international novelties. China led the way with a 79% rise in participation compared to 2023, followed by the US (65%) and UK with a 62% increase. Additionally, there was a notable 52% increase in visitors from all over Europe, reflecting the strong appeal of the regional market for global players.
Ravi said: “Attracting attendees from 164 countries this year, the show was a reflection of a significant interest in brands wanting to grow their global audience. The fragrance world particularly is becoming very invested in this market and we are seeing lots of big brand names creating products specifcally tailored to Middle Eastern tastes and traditions.”
What the exhibitors said:
Mohammed Majrashi, Executive Assistant at Laverne Perfume from Saudi Arabia, explained why the brand chose to exhibit at Beautyworld Middle East for the first time this year. “This is our first time here in Beautyworld and we also won one of the awards for Best Media Campaign of The Year. We decided to come because we want to connect with more distributors, more suppliers, and more customers, of course. I hope we will be back next year.”
Oh Young-Woo, The CEO of Face Factory who were exhibiting in the Beauty Tech section of the show for the fourth year, said: “Being back in Dubai, an international and diverse city, provides our brands with an excellent opportunity to expand their reach and connect with buyers and distributors. Additionally, Seoul is renowned for its beauty innovations, and we want Middle Eastern customers to experience this as well”
Key highlights
Officially inaugurated on day one by Her Excellency Hessa Bu Humaid, Minister of Community Development, the show included a packed agenda for beauty, skincare, haircare and fragrance professionals.
Show highlights included the return of the Next in Beauty Conference with a keynote by TV host and beauty entrepreneur Joelle Mardinian on the first day where she revealed the secrets to building a beauty empire. While on the final day Honourable Guest Speaker, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, the ‘Green Sheikh’ took to the stage to spread the sustainability message.
The Front Row by Nazih Group stage saw high energy demonstrations from global educators and artists across hair, skincare, nails and beyond. Similarly, The Nail It! competition revealed that creativity knows no limits, with contenders competing to be awarded the top prizes across several nailcare categories.
Beautyworld Middle East 2024 marked the exciting debut of Beauty Beginnings in collaboration with International Luxury Brand Consultancy (ILBC) – an innovative showcase of hand-picked brands which are new to the MENA region across multiple categories. Notable brands participating in Beauty Beginnings include Black Ants, a modern and innovative fragrance brand that celebrates the timeless essence of nature, South Korean perfume brand Sisology, and Le Rouge Français, a pioneering plant-based makeup brand.
Also making its Beautyworld Middle East debut was the beautyLIVE stage which featured an exciting blend of live hair and make-up demonstrations. On the first day of Goldwell’s Arabian Color Fiesta, the finalists competed for the prestigious titles of Hair Colorist of the Year, Hair Cutter of the Year, and New Talent of the Year. Brands and participants included LAKME – a professional hair care product supplier; Addoony – a luxury Qatari vegan make-up brand made in Italy; as well as Arooba, WAHL Professional, Lakme, Gamma Plus, Zara Yuldasheva and Jeff Reisi.
The Beautyworld Middle East Awards marked a chance to celebrate the top people and products in the beauty and wellness industry across 17 categories. Maria Dowling was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her services to the hair industry. The Creative Director of her eponymous salon and dubbed as the Middle East’s ‘Queen of Colour’ Maria has enjoyed a hugely successful career spanning over 30 years.
The annual competition to find the ‘Signature Scent’ of the 2024 show saw 15 international fragrance houses take part and visitors given the opportunity to vote for their favourite. ‘Zenith Echos’ was crowned as the official scent for Beautyworld Middle East with perfumers Anne Louise and Eloise Bernard from Expressions Parfumées producing a blend which perfectly depicted the essence of this year’s show.
Save the date: The next edition of Beautyworld Middle East will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 to 29 October 2025.
